Jeff German reflects on his career and prepares for his new role as senior investigative reporter at the Las Vegas Sun

Sunday, Feb. 19, 2006 | 12:32 p.m.

In the 28 years that I've been writing for the Las Vegas Sun, there have been very few days that I haven't enjoyed going to work.

One of those days was the morning I learned that Mike O'Callaghan had died, and I had to write a column on deadline about the man who meant so much to me in the news business and life in general.

I didn't want to be at work that day, but I let the tears flow and did my job because that's what journalists are supposed to do.

As uncomfortable and sad a day as that was, there have been countless others when I have raced to work. Those were the days I had the opportunity to discover what's happening behind the scenes in one of the most exciting cities in the world - and then tell the world about it.

I am fortunate to be in a profession that I love.

Offering opinions in this column the past several years has been an interesting endeavor for me, sometimes challenging and never boring.

And you haven't been shy about letting me know whether you've liked or disliked those opinions.

But my true love - something I learned from the Sun's legendary founder and publisher, Hank Greenspun - is reporting. I love digging up the facts, laying them out and letting the reader decide how to view them.

There is nothing more exhilarating to me - whether exposing a corrupt politician, a power-hungry bureaucrat or a cold-hearted mobster - than bringing a hard-hitting story to light from the depths of darkness.

So I'm going back to my roots, reporting.

As the Sun's senior investigative reporter, I am confident that I will be able to help this newspaper soar to greater heights, and hopefully you'll be there with me.

As you know, the Sun has gone through its own changes in recent months.

Since we've been distributed with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, our circulation has risen dramatically, which means many more people have been reading what we print. That, in turn, has given us a greater impact on the community.

With that larger readership comes the responsibility of bringing you a better product with news stories you won't find in the rival Review-Journal.

I think we are doing a pretty good job of distinguishing ourselves from our competitor. We have talented writers and editors here, and that list of excellence is growing by the day.

Hank's son, Brian Greenspun, has demonstrated a commitment to making us even better at bringing you the news you need and deserve in the months ahead.

There's plenty of excitement around here and plenty of stories to dig up.

In my 28 years at the Sun I can honestly say that I have never been so eager to take on a new assignment.

The batteries are charged, and I'm ready to go.

The next time you see me in the Sun, my friends, I'll be on Page One.

Jeff German can be reached at 259-4067 or at german@lasvegassun.com.